I Believe You
by Maria Silver
Summary: Skye&Jeffery talk on the rocks- total fluffiness, SkyeXJeffery.


*Takes place in Point Mouette, just after Jeffery runs out to the rocks after finding out Alec's his father, a **lot **of fluff, because my mind is a very fluffy place- sorry, and if I lose any Skye-ness or Jeffery-ness, tell me!*

*****I DO NOT OWN THE PENDERWICKS *****

Skye sat, staring at the cloudy sky hanging over the sea.

Blue eyes, blue Skye, she though wryly. Much reflective of her current mood, the sky was a dull, damp gray. Her eyes flickered to the boy frozen on the rocks.

"Skye, Skye!" A voice called. Eyes still unwaveringly trained on Jeffery, Skye called back,

"What, Jane?" Jeffery remained motionless. Resigned for the moment, Skye turned to see her wobbling sister making her way quickly and ungracefully down the beach.

"Dinner…Aunt Claire…says… go…up... I'll…try…Jeffrey…" she panted, coming to stand next to her sister. "Only for a minute," Jane said, interrupting the well-predicted protests from Skye. "Just go eat. Come back when you're done. I'll take care of Jeffery."

Grudgingly, Skye (or her stomach) decided to go.

Back at the porch of Birches, Skye paused to watch Jane slowly walking down to Jeffery, who was still immobile on the rocks, and wondered what would happen. She didn't have to wait long, though- after sitting down and eating a few bites, a discouraged Jane appeared at the door.

"What happened?" The voices of Aunt Claire and Batty added to Skye's, making for an urgent harmony of questions. Unhappily, Jane sat down at the table.

"Nothing," Jane said. "As soon as I spoke he told me to go away." Skye pushed back her chair.

"Let me try."

Walking down the slope of the beach, Skye, unlike her somewhat clutzy sister, had not trouble reaching Jeffery quickly.

"Hi." She said.

"Go away, Jane." Jeffery said wearily.

"It's me." Skye said, sitting next to the statue of a boy.

"Oh." He said, showing no sign of protest or of approval, only acceptance.

"So…how's it going?" Skye started awkwardly.

"Not so well." He laughed bitterly. Catching the look of pure anger, sadness, and pain on her best friend's face, Skye almost started to cry. And he, seeing the tears on her face, moved closer and said,

"Don't cry, Skye. Please don't cry."

"I won't. I promise- I stopped."

A moment of silence passed, with both boy and girl aware of the other centimeters away, both feeling the pain of the situation, both with nothing to say.

"Skye, I-"

"Jeffery, I'm-"

Both ready to talk at the same time.

"I'm sorry!" Skye burst, uncharacteristically showing high levels of emotion other than anger or frustration. "I should have told you when I found out. I-" She tried to continue, but a hand had covered her mouth, preventing her stream of apologies from coming out.

"Skye, don't. You couldn't, I know."

"I couldn't. But I hated it."

"I know."

"But it's still my fault! I should've-" Again Jeffery's hand found her lips, blocking the words about to be said. After a second, he dropped his hand to his thigh, ready to speak himself.

"It's not your fault, anyways. It's mine. If I-" Now it was Skye's turn to stop him.

"No, Jeffery. It's not your fault."

Brushing away her hand, Jeffery continued, frustrated.

"Yes it is!" He cried. "If I hadn't come to Birches, none of this would've happened. Aunt Claire and Batty and Jane and you- You were _crying. _I've _never_ seen you cry! And it's my fault!" On the verge of tears himself, Jeffery threw himself on to the rocks, back flat against the stone, hands in his hair, covering his face.

"It's not your- you don't- no one is mad at you. We just want you to be happy, that's it." Skye leaned back on her elbow so she could look down on Jeffery's face. "No one is upset with you but you!"

"Well you should be! Skye I made you cry. You! You **should **be mad at me."

"Jeffery. No one is mad at you, I promise. Penderwick Family Honor."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"I don't believe you. This is all my fault."

Impulsively, in a move that normally Skye would call sappy and foolish, and Jane would call hopelessly romantic, Skye leaned down and kissed him. She waited, in a long moment of shocked silence, on edge, waiting for a reaction. Then, with a tired happiness, Jeffery said, smiling slowly,

"I believe you."

You know how it goes after that. Add some fluff where desired.

Well, I hope y'all liked it..R&R people! Pretty please?


End file.
